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NBA power rankings: Thunder, Spurs have bad blood, top spots

First Stephen Jackson threatened Serge Ibaka on Twitter. Now, this. Jackson's San Antonio Spurs and Ibaka's Oklahoma City Thunder were tied for second place last week in USA TODAY Sports' NBA power rankings.

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Jackson's San Antonio Spurs and Ibaka's Oklahoma City Thunder were tied for second place last week in USA TODAY Sports' NBA power rankings, but when the Miami Heat slipped, someone needed to take the top spot. The Thunder prevailed.

Oklahoma City beat the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers — potential playoff teams, all — this week to extend an eight-game winning streak. And the NBA's hottest team also may be its best.

The Thunder and Spurs were first or second on every ballot. Here are the top five teams in USA TODAY Sports' NBA team-by-team power rankings:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder: They received four out of six first-place votes.

The battle for the top spot wasn't the only hard-fought affair involving the Thunder, though. Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant has made great progress on his all-around game this season, but he faces the epitome of well-rounded basketball in the MVP race.